Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-01-21
A Reformed Burglar.


On my discharge from prison | found
the way open to me for fresh offenses
even greater than the one | had com
mtted. My father had died while was
still in prison, and my mother had mar
ried again. | found my former prison
associate waiting for me in large city.
We formed a partnership in crime which
lasted nearly seven years, during which
We perpetrated over fifty burglAries. In
none of those were wo detected, though
several times we had narrow escapes,
and | was once arrested, charged with an
offense with which had no connection
Fortunately for me, the real criminal,
man Of whom | had no knowledge, was
discovered, and was discharged from
custody. Why, then, did | cease being
burglar aud become an honest man
had been more than ordinarily successful
in my criminal career, aud had save in
my first crime, committed when was
novice in the business, escaped all punish
ment for my violations of law This is
how the change came about. One night
as sat in my well-furnished room read
ing the last number Of popular maya
zinc, something that | perused set me to
thinking. 1t was u story in which oc-
Cured the expression that in the long
run II man. other things being equal,
could make more by honest chan by di,-
honest work. ! stopped reading aud en-
dcavored to call to mind the amount of
my gains had no trouble in doing so,
being assisted by full notes that kept
in a cipher of my own designing.
| had never fully contemplated the
matter before, but now, with pen and
paper, put the whole subject before my
eyes. Not counting my first burglary, |
found that my share Of all the others
amounted to the sum of about S21 900,
or nearly $4,000 year. At that mo-
ment had as the entire profits of my
profession, the sum Of $40 in cash, to-
gether with fair stock of clothes and n
watch that had bought, for | was too
sbrewd to wear one that had stolen.
was not addicted to drinking, gambling,
or other Of what | may call small vices,
but my expenses in travelling, in eluding
detections and in feeling certain officers
Of the law had been heavy, so that had
never been able TO do much more than
10 maintain myself in way that was
neither luxurious as regarded tho body
nor comfortable SO far as tho mind was
concerned. was always unsettled and
constantly ia fear of arrest. was never
sure at night when went TO bed that
should not before morning be in irons
and on my way TO prison. Besides all
this, had had a great deal of hard
physical labor to perform, and was often
obliged TO spend hours in all sorts Of
cramped and otherwise uncomfortable
positions.
Three thousand dollars year That
was all | knew that / had the ability
to make much more than that sum at
honest work il / could only get the hon
est work TO do, and that, too, without
such wear and tear Of mind as had en-
dured for seven years, to say nothing of
my term OF imprisonment.
That night my resolution was taken.
aud the next morning | was on my way
TO remote part of the country under the
name that now bear. With my $500
and $3.50 more that | obtained from the
sale Of my watch, | bought small bust
ness that was for sale, and became a
citizen Of thriving town Reading in
duced reflection, and better principles
we're developed in me, and little by little
the idea dawncd upon me that it was my
duty to make restitution, and began
to save money with that object in view.
cannot. without danger of revealing
my identity, give any further particulars
Of my life Suffice it 10 say that am
now nearly go years Of age, that | have
restored over $4,000 Of stolen money,
and that | have the rest in safe keeping
ready to give it back as soon az eau
find the lawful owners. | have retired
from business Of my own. but hold
responsible position in a frst-class estab-
lishmcDt with a salary Of over $4,000 a
year aud am, believe, respected by ALL